Round We Go

The World’s Most Interesting Airports

C. Ryan — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 23:23:36 +0000

I’ve been watching quite a bit of Anthony Bourdain’s new show “Layover,” and so have been thinking a lot about the many airports we spent time in on our around the world trip – 31 in all I counted. They ran the gamut – some big and spectacular like Dallas-Fort Worth, others small like Surat Thani in southern Thailand or charming like Nadi in Fiji, and some just terrible like Mumbai.

Here are the good, the bad and the ugly of the most interesting airports we visited around the world.

The Good

Suvarnabhumi Airport – Bangkok, Thailand

Bangkok's airport is a temple of contemporary architecture

Bangkok’s new, international airport (don’t even think of pronouncing it correctly) is nothing short of awesome. It’s new, it’s clean, it’s modern. It’s an architectural spectacle. We flew through here several times on the SE Asia leg of our RTW trip and every time this place exuded an impression of “cool.” This, I thought to myself, is what the future looks like.

Like Bangkok, the airport caters to an eclectic mix of people. Standing next to the airport’s Islamic prayer room were Thai ladyboys, and down the hallway in the airport’s slick food court were tubby, gruff Aussies with tiny, Thai women on their arms. It’s hard to decide which is the bigger spectacle – the airport’s clean, cool architectural modernity or the constantly moving zoo of humans it it, where people-watching is elevated to sport.

Changi International Airport – Singapore

Singapore's airport tops our list of best places to lay over

It’s got a pool. Enough said. It also has free Wi-Fi all over which, for the long-distance traveler usually spending a long layover here, is a huge plus. We caught up on TV shows, news, Skyped with our families and even caught the exciting finish of the epic gold medal hockey game between the US and Canada at the Vancouver Winter Olympics.

For something more low-tech, those on long layovers can actually get spa treatments or take a shower at the facilities in the airport. What really impressed us, though, were the two separate 24-hour napping areas, the six open-air garden areas and the array of shops that read like a who’s who of luxury retailers: Hermes, Prada, Gucci and Bulgari.

Because of our timing – we arrived from Sydney late at night and had an early-morning flight to Mumbai – we decided not to take advantage of the special pass offered to tourists, like us, on extended layovers to tour central Singapore for a few hours. All in all, Changi, for our money…er,time, is our favorite place to lay over.

The Odd

Bhadrapur Airport – Southeast of Nowhere, Nepal

No irony intended with the VIP sign at Nepal's Bhadrapur Airport

This is what a third world airport looks like. Not pretty. No international food court here, no wi-fi and absolutely zero chance you’ll get a spa treatment at Nepal’s Bhadrapur Airport, just across the northeastern border of India. On the good side, you don’t have to worry about airport car parking. Always looking for the positives when we travel!

Third world airports aren't good for nervous flyers

According to Wikipedia (amazing that this airport even has a Wiki page), “It has one runway with an asphalt surface measuring 1,209 by 29 metres (3,967 × 95 ft).” That’s it, folks. One runway. And one of the crazier security screenings I’ve been a part of. The airport officers pull back a curtain and ask you to step into a bizarrely-decorated “dressing” room, where they frisk you by hand, after which you are then allowed to walk the grassy knoll single-file to board the propeller-engine plane. And we thought Indian bureaucracy was bad!

Once on the plane, the pilot eyes you by height and weight and shuffles the passengers around to keep the plane’s “equilibrium,” always fun to hear any time you’re in a moving object…flying in the sky…through the Himalayas. Needless to say, we made it safely with some spectacular mountain views Nepal is famous for. But this is one memorable travel experience I’m OK with looking back on and not eager to re-live.

Kilimanjaro International Airport – Moshi/Arusha, Tanzania

Kilimanjaro International Airport (JRO) is dubbed "the gateway to Africa's wildlife"

More quaint than odd, the Kilimanjaro International Airport is dubbed “the gateway to Africa’s wildlife heritage.” This seems fair enough as safari-seekers travel from as far as Frankfurt and Amsterdam to this tiny airstrip in northern Tanzania.

JRO, as its known in airport code, is situated between Arusha, where most visitors embark on wildlife adventures in the nearby Serengeti and Ngorongoro Crater or across the border to Kenya’s game parks, and Moshi, where trekkers attempt to summit Africa’s highest mountain for which the airport is eponymously named, Mt. Kilimanjaro.

We first picked up Laura’s dad from here when he met us for some African adventure. He couldn’t believe that the 747 he was on was going to land in what he thought was a field. I got a taste of what he was talking about when I flew to Nairobi from JRO. Because I didn’t receive a wake-up call at my hotel, I was very worried security was not going to let me through to my gate when I arrived 40 minutes before my flight was set to depart, well under the 2 hours suggested for international flights.

What a laugh. Airports like these are my favorite – small, easily manageable and which represent the destination itself. Like Tanzanians, the airport was warm, welcoming and laid back. The security guard was one of about 15 people total in the airport and didn’t fuss about my late arrival. He calmly scanned my bag in seconds, leaving me plenty of time to enjoy the fruits of this quaint, aeronautical operation.

On a clear day after a storm, it's possible to get a view of snow-capped Mt. Kilimanjaro

I perused intricate rosewood carvings and banana-leaf dolls at the two airport gift shops. I even had time for a cup of Kilimanjaro coffee the area’s plantations are famous for producing, even if it cost me $1 more than it would at a Starbucks several thousand miles away (odd how that works…). Finally, my flight was called and walking out onto the tarmac, I was struck by a now rare sight – snow-capped Kilimanjaro in the distance. Even a stubborn Hemingway would be made proud.

The Ugly

Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport – Mumbai, India

Mumbai's airport doesn't do much to contradict negative stereotypes

If you want to experience and understand the difference between the emerging countries of China and India, visit the countries’ major airports. Beijing’s airport is a slick nod to China’s infrastructural modernity and its place as a 21st century power player, basically leapfrogging a generation of technology. India, by contrast, continues to struggle with woeful infrastructure. Nowhere is this more apparent than Mumbai’s airport.

The place is a dump, to put it bluntly. A disorganized, bureaucratically corrupt dump. Laura and I walked out of baggage claim to find filthy, squat toilets in one of the world’s busiest airports. An airport official charged me 300 rupees to hire a taxi, which I realized shortly after was not an official price but an arbitrary one. The terminal hallway was dusty, old and prison-like. We were, at 6 a.m. local time, quickly shocked into “we are in India now” mode.

In all honesty, I didn’t really expect anything different from Mumbai’s airport. India is still a very poor nation, after all. It’s just that through traveling so many of my expectations had been subverted by the reality of a place. Yet, here I finally was in India, and the stereotypes generated through email chain pictorials with subject titles like “Is your country this crazy?” were proving truer than the impressions painted by Western media of a burgeoning economy on the cusp, along with China, of becoming the world’s next great superpower.

To be fair, in doing some research, I learned that over a billion dollars has been spent already to modernize Mumbai’s international airport, with pictures to prove it. It’s likely then that we arrived to an old gate in an old terminal. Still, double digit annual GDP growth India might have, but it has some serious PR problems on its hands if this is what half of the country’s main airport looks like.

Notable Cafes of Buenos Aires

C. Ryan — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 18:39:56 +0000

There is no excuse to be lethargic in Buenos Aires. Some of the strongest and best coffee this side of the Atlantic resides in the many thousands of cafes that dot this sophisticated, world-class city. As a visitor, one of the best ways to explore the different neighborhoods and capture the pulse of this captivating metropolis is to visit one of its many cafés “notables.” Noted for their historical and architectural importance, 60 of the city’s bars and cafes are recognized officially as part of the state’s cultural patrimony.

Café Tortoni

Argentina's most famous cafe - Cafe Tortoni

Perhaps the most well-known – and most heavily-touristed – café in Buenos Aires is Café Tortoni (Avenida de Mayo 825, Monserrat). You can’t ignore the history here. Several tables are posthumously occupied by sculptures of Argentine artists and intelligentsia that used to frequent the café, including tango’s most famous singer, Carlos Gardel, and the poetess Alfonsina Storni.

Café Tortoni’s service is gruff, but always impeccable. You won’t mind that your waiter is not trying to chat you up after ordering the piping-hot churros and chocolate. Waiters expertly serve rich hot chocolate from still richer-looking copper kettles and matching cups. You will need the accompanying milk to relax the thick, lava-like chocolate. After dipping a warm, sugar-coated churro in your hot chocolate, you will feel the guilt that comes with such decadence, but not enough to deter you from dipping again and again.

If you need a jolt after the soporific chocolate indulgence, order a cortado, or espresso, to get your mettle back. Then, take a peak behind the velvet curtains to take in one of the café’s tango shows or head to the back to shoot some pool. Undoubtedly, after such an elegant experience and a look around at the walls of Café Tortoni, you will leave with a better history of the city and understanding of its people.

Café Richmond

Amidst the frenetic chaos of Florida Street, Cafe Richmond is a bastion of cool and calm

A trip to Buenos Aires would not be complete without a trip to the ever-busy pedestrian street Calle Florida. Amidst the frenetic outside activity of haggling money-changers and shopkeepers trying to hawk leather gaucho-wear sits the calm and sophisticated Café Richmond (Florida 468, San Nicolas). If these walls could talk, they would tell you little more than the coterie of dapper-looking, older men playing chess in the front room could. Retired they may be, but each day these men appear, clad in their Mad Men-style suits, ready for strong coffee and animated conversation over a game of chess. This is reminder enough that some things always are and always will be.

The décor is classic 1920’s with old chandeliers casting a warm glow over the long, meandering room. There are places still where a heavy haze of smoke just seems right. Café Richmond is one of them. Although smoking was banned in indoor bars and cafés a few years ago here in Buenos Aires, there are a few loopholes to get around the law. For this and to appease many of its clientele that have been frequenting the café for years, there is a smoking solarium toward the back. The bathrooms of the café are equally impressive in their décor and are worth a gander (seriously) when you patronize the place. Hang out at The Richmond long enough and you might begin to channel the writing voices of two of its leading habitués – Graham Greene and Jorge Luis Borges.

Cafe Richmond on Calle Florida is where Mad Men congregate

Update: Café Richmond has closed, sadly. Worse yet, it will be replaced by a Nike store, although Nike Argentina promises it will “preserve the façade.”

Café La Biela

La Biela is where the tres chic Portenos come for their cafe con leche

Such rich café experiences often demand rich zip codes. Therefore, there is La Biela (Avenida Quintana 600, Recoleta), one of the city’s finest and most regal coffee establishments. Located on the plaza in front of the famous cemetery where the likes of Evita Peron and other high-brow Portenos go to rest, La Biela caters to the sophisticated elite of Buenos Aires’s wealthiest barrio, Recoleta. The café dates back all the way to 1850 when Recoleta was more farmland than Belle Epoque, but received its present name in 1950 when Formula One champions and auto racers used it as a gathering place.

Patrons of La Biela have the fortune of enjoying their café con leche alfresco. Outside, one can enjoy a favorite Porteno pastime, people-watching. Indulge your curiosities and pass judgment on (or pretend to be totally indifferent to) the many tourists taking in impromptu tango shows, snapping photos of Recoleta Cemetery or admiring the bright white Nuestra Senora de Pilar Catholic church. In cooler months, this is a great place to warm yourself in the afternoon sun; during summer, cool off in the shade if you can snag a table underneath the great limbs of the famed ombu trees with their Wizard of Oz-like appearance.

Patio area at La Biela shaded by the long-limbed ombu tree

Inside, experience the opulence and splendor one would expect from a café situated just a block away from the Alvear Palace Hotel, the city’s oldest and finest. The room is simple, yet elegant in its fillings. Notably, visitors will see photographs of the connecting rods used in racing cars that the café is named after, along with the famous drivers that put them to the test. Service here is superb and you will be made to feel every bit as sophisticated as the company you are in.

Las Violetas

The stained glass windows of Almagro's Las Violetas is more coffee cathedral than cafe

Finally, leave the well-trodden tourist path and head to the Almagro neighborhood to visit one of Buenos Aires’s oldest cafés. The recently remodeled Las Violetas (Avenida Rivadavia 3899, Almagro) opened its doors again in 2007 for the first time in over 10 years after a lengthy restoration. Before being declared a cultural heritage site in 1998, the café had been partially abandoned. But now, Las Violetas has brought life back to the city’s Almagro neighborhood.

Enter through the gold-plated revolving door on Avenida Rivadavia and you will think you’ve entered a café built by Willy Wonka – the 1920’s version. The first thing you’ll notice are the magnificent glass cases filled with every type of sweet pastry your heart could desire: giant alfajores – mini shortbread cakes filled with dulce de leche and coated with sugar – and their baby offspring, fruit cakes, medialunas, cherry danishes, chocolate pastries, cakes and éclairs.

Like many other cafes of its time that sadly no longer exist, Las Violetas is enormous, having enough space to seat 200 guests at one time. Ceilings flaunting gold chandeliers rise 30 feet above finely-crafted Italian marble floors. The café was made more European during the 1920′s by the addition of French stained glass windows, giving it a bright, airy and open feeling. Female or not, one must head upstairs where the ladies’ restroom is located to take a gander at the café in all of its glory.

In a nod to Arthur Guinness, Las Violetas serves its coffee black as oil and thick as mud with a white, frothy, bubbling top. If tea is more your cup, then look no further than the Maria Cala tea service – an over-the-top spread of scones, finger sandwiches, cakes and pastries, meant for three, but large enough for six!

Bar and cafe at Alvear Palace Hotel in Recoleta

The city’s thriving café culture should come as no surprise. It was, in no small part, instituted by the city’s coffee-adoring Spanish and Italian immigrants many years ago. While Buenos Aires is not impregnable to Starbucks – they have opened 5 locations since 2006 – the pervasive feeling among the local Portenos is that expediency is not nearly as precious as good company and strong coffee. Whether it’s to discuss the latest futbol standings, wildly escalating ice cream prices or simply gossip, Buenos Aires’s denizens will continue to get together to “tomar un café”, and with that, continue one of the world’s finest café cultures.

Golf Around the World

C. Ryan — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 20:11:11 +0000

In most of our travels, golf has rarely been an option. Not because I try hard to defy doing “stuff white people like.” Tiger’s already done plenty to swing the pendulum in the other direction. No, it’s because golf is expensive. Here in the U.S. we are blessed with some incredible courses, from the tropical golf courses of Hawaii to a round of desert golf in Vegas. But, damn budget travel, one of these days I’m going to up the ante – and the budget – and splurge on 18 holes at these ridiculously awesome golf courses around the world.

The Old Course at St. Andrew’s – St. Andrews, Scotland

Road Hole Bunker at The Old Course at St. Andrews, St. Andrews, Scotland

C’mon, you didn’t think I was going to write about the best golf courses in the world and not mention the mothership, The Old Course at St. Andrews, did you? The sport was practically invented in its backyard and it is the oldest golf course in the world. It dates back to at least 1504, which makes it way older than your Grandma’s grandma. And it’s public. It doesn’t get more democratic than that. What I really appreciate is that tourists are allowed to walk the course, which, after walking it, you realize is not such a big deal since the course is so wild that you couldn’t possibly “mess” it up. The Swilcan Bridge is awesome and I can’t wait to get all Jack Nicklaus on it, but what I’m really fixin’ to do is hit into the “Road Hole Bunker” on 17 and swing away all day trying to get out.

The Ocean Course – Kiawah Island, South Carolina, USA

Lowcountry Links at The Ocean Course in Kiawah, South Carolina

We’re not in Scotland anymore, but you could be forgiven for thinking so. With ocean views from every hole, sweeping crosswinds and wild dunes this Pete and Alice Dye-designed course seems like it would be right at home in Scotland or Ireland. But venture inland on the course and you’ll discover that this is Lowcountry, home to She-crabs, gators and meandering marshlands full of tremendous birdlife, so much so that the course is a Certified Audubun Cooperative Society. The Ocean Course will play host to this year’s PGA Championship, previously hosted the “War on the Shore,” the 1991 Ryder Cup that Bernhard Langer blew on the 18th hole for the Europeans, and saw Will Smith caddy for Matt Damon in the film The Legend of Bagger Vance. So, you’ve got beautiful, sweeping ocean views, wild, rustling dunes, and a course perfectly designed to accept and admire nature, rather than change it? Sounds like golf paradise on Earth.

Banff Springs Golf Course – Banff, Alberta, Canada

Banff Springs Golf Course winds along the Bow River in Canada's Rocky Mountains

Mark Twain’s view that “golf is a good walk spoiled” could hardly be the case here. Situated in the heart of Canada’s Rocky Mountains, this Stanley Thompson-designed course is an ode to nature. Views of the winding Bow River are one-upped by the dominating snow-capped peaks of Mount Rundle and Sulphur Mountain. There are 27 holes of incredibly scenic golf to be had at Banff Springs, so a morning 18 can even be polished off with an afternoon 9 before cocktail hour approaches. Of course, if you can end your round with a whisky, or even better, a stay, at the 124 year-old Scottish Baronial Banff Springs Hotel, then, well, you’re just a plaid pant-wearing baller.

Fancourt Links Course – George, South Africa

The Links at Fancourt, a Gary Player-designed course situated along South Africa's Garden Route

The Links at Fancourt is South Africa’s premier golf course and resort. Situated along the Garden Route, the aptly-named verdant, ecological playground hugging South Africa’s coast, The Links at Fancourt was designed by Gary Player in 2000. Player applied the best aspects of Scotland and Ireland’s links courses to the stunning backdrop of the Garden Route. The tall grass and scrub brush of traditional links courses are further complemented by lakes, lagoons and beautiful mountain views. After playing a round of golf, travelers can head to nearby locations: Oudtshoorn to ride ostriches, Franschoek and Stellenbosch to visit the terroir famous for producing unique Pinotage wines and Nature’s Valley to take the plunge at the world’s highest bungee jump.

Kauri Cliffs Golf Course – Bay of Islands, North Island, New Zealand

The Kauri Cliff overlooking the Pacific Ocean on New Zealand's North Island

We never made it this far north on our one-month trip through New Zealand, but the Kauri Cliffs Golf Course on the North Island seems reason enough to return to this bedazzling country. That’s assuming you can tear yourself away from the driving range, which is said by many golf writers and critics to be the most scenic in the world. 15 holes have Pacific Ocean views, six of which you could dunk your ball into it if you’re not careful. Spectacular cliffs plunge precipitously several hundred feet to the water. Perhaps the coolest part of Kauri Cliffs is that the golf course is just a small part of its original occupation – a 4,000 acre working farm. I’m sure I wouldn’t break 100 here, but with views like the one pictured, I think I could keep my temper in check.

This was a sponsored post. All of the opinions are those of Round We Go. It’s our promise that we will never accept a sponsorship or endorse a company or product that does not match the general interests of our readers…unless it seriously lines our pockets, then we hope you’ll understand.

Raise the Red Lantern

C. Ryan — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 01:38:37 +0000

Disneyland or Xi'an, China? I can't really tell...

China is all about impressions, first impressions especially. At this they succeed gallantly. But, if you take a peek behind its curtains, you just might find that China is not all that it is cracked up to be. In place of this great Wizard of Oz, we were left with the impression that a weak, insecure man (a little Chairman Mao, maybe?) was pulling all the country’s levers.

“I think if we were to visit the country China at Disneyworld’s Epcot Center, it would be eerily similar to the China we’re experiencing here,” remarked Laura in the final days of our visit. I could not agree more. It is no wonder that China limits visitors’ stays to 30 days. It seems that each day longer we stayed in China, we began to see past the pretty facades of hastily-erected new structures and started to notice the fissures. Even without China’s artificially advantageous exchange rate, everything seemed and felt cheap, and not in a good way.

Our introduction to China came in the form of Tibet’s euphemistically named “Friendship Highway” and the newly-completed and very impressive Lhasa-to-Beijing railroad. After discovering what the Chinese government had done to the ancient and historical Buddhist religious center of Tibet, we were not too surprised to see greater(?) development when we arrived to Xi’an, the midway point on our transcontinental trip. Xi’an is most widely known for the famous Terracotta Warriors, and dictated, in large part, our decision to visit this classic, walled city.

The Dallas Cowboys' "Jerryworld" can't compare to China's Terracotta Superdome

Trekking out to where the Terracota Army resides, we were first greeted by a barrage of tacky souvenir shops and a Subway fast-food restaurant (to be fair, many American landmarks begin this way,too). As we made our way to the Superdome-like structure that houses and protects the Terracotta Army, we had to walk a seemingly-endless slab of concrete. While the structure housing the thousands of statues gave great thought to keeping out potentially ruinous sunlight and still allowing natural light, it still seemed “too much” in terms of its grandiosity.

This theme of making a strong impression was evident all around the city of Xi’an. The city walls, ancient even by European standards, are an incredible sight to see. Tourists and locals are permitted to ride atop the extremely wide city walls and take in a bird’s-eye view of the city. All around us as we rode, we saw cranes knocking over the old and building the new. Only the new was meant to look old – that’s the weird part. Instead of protecting the original structures or working to refurbish them, the Chinese government seemed to have decided that it would be cheaper, easier and faster to tear down and build from scratch. So, as much as I was absolutely blown away by how advanced China’s infrastructure seemed to be, I couldn’t help but wonder how long it will last.

Riding bikes atop Xian's city walls in its circular park

Also, what will be the cultural (and emotional) repercussions of China’s modern advances at the sacrifice of its history? Since Mao Zedong’s Cultural Revolution, a new generation of Chinese has been born without understanding, or at least physically recognizing, one of the world’s richest and most historical cultures. How will these children and grandchildren of the Revolution fully understand the importance of building a sustainable modern society when their parents and grandparents were forced to abandon and crush their very own?

In many ways, through my verbal and written critiques of the Chinese, I feel hypocritical. The first Americans did painfully little to preserve Native American art, cultures, traditions and worse yet – peoples. As a country we’ve done much to denigrate our environment. But, it’s because of these mistakes why I expect more from a developing country like China. Learn from our mistakes is what I’m asking.

I guess if our visit to China taught us one thing, it would be that one month is way too short to understand its past and too long for us to want to understand its future. The facades may fool you at first; they certainly did me. But stay long enough, and you’ll come away with more questions about China’s future than you had when you arrived.

India: Too Tough to Travel?

C. Ryan — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 13:20:46 +0000

Indian mayhem in the Paharganj neighborhood of Delhi - craziest place on Earth

Nothing can prepare you for India. No guidebook you read or movie you watch. No travel tales you hear or even pictures you see. It’s something that must be experienced. But should it?

Be experienced, I mean. That is the question. Everyone, love it or hate it, will tell you that India is a notoriously difficult country to travel. The most challenging aspect of Indian travel is the overwhelming feeling of helplessness one experiences when faced with such extreme, abject poverty. I was absolutely overwhelmed by the myriad emotions I experienced upon my arrival.

Rickshaw driver on the streets of the Parhaganj in Delhi, India

But it has a way of getting underneath your skin, India. For you to forgo the sacrifices needed to toughen yourself for a visit to India would be a drastic mistake in my opinion. In the end, the experience, tough as it may be, will reward you many times over for anything you had to give up to experience this fascinating place.

Indians' warmth comes in many different ways, sometimes in the form of a flower

It only took a look through my old journals and emails to friends and family to put myself back in the mindset of a traveler approaching India newly. The following is a snippet of an email I wrote to my parents 48 hours after landing in Mumbai and I believe makes a strong case why there are too many reasons to overcome India being too tough to travel:

“We had a meal yesterday that sums up all of India for me so far. It was exquisite and alarming. Upon walking in, we were sat, and within seconds we had waiters clapping and dishes arriving at our places at a punishing pace. Then, the owner described in the most gracious way how we should eat all this wonderful Indian food that lay before us. This still did not deter the other patrons from looking at us like we were in a zoo and laughing, but our food was too good to even care. The flavors and tastes in one meal will make everything else I eat moving forward “less than.” There were piquant spices followed by sweetness and then tumbling into sour, breads upon breads upon breads, one more delicious than the next, and the desserts – Jesus, the desserts!

Indian thali at Radjhani restaurant in Mumbai

We had the trememdous fortune to arrive during the Holi festival. Driving into the city, the bleakness of Mumbai’s slums was contrasted with the symphony of colors on the faces and bodies of the slumdwellers dancing in celebration of the Holi festival. Everywhere we went, people greeted us with “Happy Holi!” We couldn’t help but instantly feel an affection for the place.

India's inhabitants make up a huge melting pot of peoples, cultures and religions

I love the chai tea delivered to our room, the people hawking every possible good on the streets. I love everything. The pace and rhythm of this place, I’ve found, very easy to fall into. I feel in many ways that I was meant to come here.

20 million people in this city. There is so much sadness and I see things that break my heart. Everything is in so many ways, all wrong. I am surprised, however, at how easily I’ve been able to look past this. I don’t think this is the work of travel and seeing the plight of poverty in so many places. It’s the people themselves. There is a humor and respect from the people for all things and so they don’t seem to feel sorry for themselves in the ways we would at home.

Even when they stare – and they stare! intently, purposefully, and directly into your eyes – there is a genuine curiosity. Foreigners are still rare enough I suppose. The poorest people here seem happy at times and in various ways tend to enjoy life, something unimaginable considering their circumstances.

Indian children are curious

Indian men are really curious

I can’t shake the feeling of happiness I have. We wake up to incessant honking. It’s amazing the activity that 20 million people can create. The Victoria Terminus right across from us receives, get this, over 2 million people each day! But each day – no each hour, no each minute – I am shocked into experiencing some fascinating part of life that I hadn’t seen or imagined.

Men holding hands as they walk is what struck me my very first day here in Mumbai. While Indians unfortunately still carry homophobic views, men here do not have any of the hang-ups about showing non-sexual affection with each other, something I find to be exceptionally rare in any culture. People are generally so warm and inviting that, as a tourist, I am already growing tired of having to tell people where I am from, why I come to India and that, yes, I am married, and, no, I do not have kids.”

The vibrant colors of India

In all my travels I have never experienced a place as fascinating as this one. From the time I dropped off my luggage at our hotel in Mumbai and heard a knock on our door to deliver a welcome chai to the time we flew from a tiny, grassy airstrip near Darjeeling in the Himalayas, India shocked me in its ability to shake and awaken me. Yet, in all of its chaos and sadness, India will leave you yearning to dive deeper and experience more. So, prepare yourself you can try, but prepared you will never be; to truly appreciate and enjoy that place they refer to in travel magazines as “Incredible India” is best savored through openness, not readiness.

Ski Holidays Around the Globe

roundwego — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 22:52:09 +0000

Dear Santa: All I want for Christmas is a ski trip.

We stand behind our decision to follow summer around the globe for a year, but with the holiday season upon us, we’ve got fresh pow pow and winter wonderlands on our minds. In no particular order, here are a few of our dream ski getaways around the world and a few we’re just dying to get back to.

Chamonix, France

Photo courtesy of Xronis.

There is this ring to the destination “Chamonix” that has always had my ears buzzing. Even in my unbearably painful attempt at a French accent, in just whispering its sacred syllables the name itself has a soothing zing. This alpine classic is set in the French Alps, at the foot of Mont Blanc. With one of the highest concentrations of alpine routes and arguably the most challenging slopes in Europe, Chamonix tops our list of dream ski holidays.

Photo courtesy of shashmalegear.

Sitting atop the highest peak in the Alps and the second highest in all of Europe, it is also home to one of the world’s longest ski runs, Valle Blanch, at 13.7 miles. The five hour descent from one of the highest cable cars in Europe is considered, by many, the greatest off-trail skiing in the world. Looks to me like the perfect place to go for a ski weekend, a winter retreat…or how about a lifetime.

San Carlos de Bariloche, Argentina

Argentina’s most picturesque city is set in the stunning lake district of northern Patagonia. Officially known as San Carlos de Bariloche, this Swiss-inspired town is surrounded by towering, white-capped Andes peaks looking out over grand Nahuel Huapi Lake. The town is dotted with quaint, rustic architecture with a distinctly Patagonian twist and during winter months – June through August – you’ll find enough snow coverage to impress even the most avid winter sports enthusiasts.

Photo courtesy of Le Dion.

The ski resort, known as Cerro Catedral, is located 20 minutes from downtown Bariloche. The resort resembles more of a peaceful, alpine hamlet sitting at the foothills of the mountains yet boasts the largest lift-accessed ski terrain in all of South America. On our 2005 visit to Cerro Catedral, we learned the terrain is well-suited for intermediate and advanced skiers and we spent many a days enjoying the extensive network of ‘tree-skiing’ paths. Most notable were the majestic views over glistening Nahuel Huapi Lake and hunkering in at night in this fairytale setting over hearty Patagonian meals of wild boar, venison and smoked trout.

Zermatt, Switzerland

Admiring the rolling green hills of the impossibly perfect pastoral landscapes on our recent summer holiday to Zermatt, only wet our palettes. We’re now overwrought with desire to return to hit these Swiss slopes. One of the world’s most elite ski destinations (and a price tag to match), Zermatt is built into the slopes of the Swiss Alps, at the foot of the legendary Matterhorn. People come from all over the world for the glitz and glam that surround this mountain icon, but skiing among the ever-dominant panorama of one of the most beautiful and precipitous mountains in the world is the real draw. The swish après ski scene doesn’t hurt either.

Queenstown, New Zealand

Photo courtesy of Piero Damiani.

Another destination we hit up in the summer and would be equally pleased to experience in the winter is Queenstown, New Zealand. Set in the pristine Lake District of the South Island of New Zealand, Queenstown sits before the unrivaled backdrop of the Southern Alps on the shores of Lake Wakatipu. The New Zealand ski season runs from June through October and basing yourself in Queenstown would give access to two main ski resorts: Coronet Peak and the eponymously named Remarkables – a saw-toothed range of mountains on the opposite side of the lake from town.

Photo courtesy of Piero Damiani.

What we loved about Queenstown is that it looks like a small town, but has the energy of a large city. Due to its proximity to mountains, lakes and forests, you’ll have access to any extreme sport you care to think of and you pretty much find any adventure sport activity within an hour’s drive. The town attracts a wealth of international travelers at all times throughout the year so if you’re looking for a more independent experience you can easily get out and about and explore the awe-inspiring wilderness further up the lake at more remote Glenorchy.

Portillo, Chile

Chile is synonymous with the Andes and we hear there is no better place for a true Andean adventure than in Portillo. Like the ski season of New Zealand and Argentina, Chile’s ski season is upside down, providing a chance to escape the sweltering heat of the summer for a snow holiday on the slopes.

Located about 100 miles from Santiago, Portillo is Chile’s premier ski destination and oldest ski resort – in existence for more than 50 years. With an average snowfall of about 30 feet and 80 percent sunny days, conditions are ideal. A few accolades under its belt, it is the only ski resort in South America to host the Alpine World Ski Championships and several ski speed records have been set here. Skiing within view of majestic Aconcagua, the highest mountain in the Western Hemisphere standing at 22,841-feet, is the true highlight.

Photo courtesy of Gavin Klocek.

The journey to Portillo is an adventure in and of itself. While we never stopped off to test out the slopes, we made the journey across the Trans-Andes Highways, past Portillo, a handful of times en route to the nearby border between Chile and Argentina. The route in Chile (pictured above) is far steeper than the Argentine side. In the last few miles before Portillo, near the Cristo Redentor Tunnel, the road steeply snakes through the Andes in 29 switchback curves till it reaches the two-mile long Cristo Redentor tunnel. Exiting the tunnel here, on a clear day, you can look out and see towering Cerro Aconcagua rising above into the heavens. Reason enough, I think, to visit Portillo.

The preceding was a sponsored post though the opinions expressed are our own. For more information on ski holidays and for booking your France ski holiday, visit here. For more information about sponsored posts, email us at roundwego@roundwego.com.

Habana Libre!

roundwego — Sat, 26 Nov 2011 22:53:09 +0000

This is certainly not Hemingway’s Cuba.

Those were my first thoughts upon landing in Havana against the wishes and the law of the United States government. Using a friend’s wedding in Mexico as the perfect cover and jumping-off point, Laura and I decided to steal a surreptitious look into that “inner sanctum” they call Cuba.

While the cars and prices may not have changed much, Cuba no longer represents the warm and vibrant party-like atmosphere that attracted so many Americans to these parts in the 40’s and 50’s. Cuba, I soon learned, can be a depressing place. But to describe it solely in those terms would be a terrible injustice. No, the Cuba that I found was too pregnant with contradictions to be summed up in a neat little package with a bow around it. Ideologically isolated, yet geographically close, Cuba can best be described as a forbidden fruit, possessing multiple layers and begging to be explored.

What I, like many Americans, failed to consider is that Cuba is much more exotic to us than it is to the many others free to travel there. For tourists coming in from Europe for their Cuba holiday, the island is full of sun and sand and a place to relax for a long weekend to escape the winter doldrums. That I was not one of a few very brave foreigners that dare enter Castro’s domain immediately gave me a feeling of disappointment.

Crumbling beauty of Havana, Cuba

My vision of Cuba had been a movie set: filled with beautiful colors, beautiful people and beautiful food. But I arrived to find a more subdued reality, one of darkness amid crumbling buildings and a depressed people. It was neither the rum-soaked roving beach party the movies insisted it was, nor the classy, Latin version of today’s Vegas. What I initially experienced was a daily struggle and constant grind for the people trying to get by on insufficient rations. Most human innovation seemed wasted upon trying to exploit the system in an effort to purchase goods on the black market not provided by the government. This was necessitated by a need to supplement their meager government salaries, all the while fearing and trying to avoid the wrath of “La Barba” (the Bearded One).

But, this is not to disparage travel to Cuba. No, in fact, I highly recommend it! Surprised? Cuba is a truly unique place, and not only for notorious reasons. My earliest observation is also the most memorable in my mind. Driving into the city from the airport, I was struck by nature’s primacy on the island. The lush vegetation we saw everywhere was not simply a result of tropical temperatures taking course; instead, it was a conscious effort on the part of the government not to be conquered by capitalist interests. There are no Cancun-style high-rise condos, no copycat T-shirt stores or souvenir shops lining every street and no unctuous sales types trying to lure you into their Carlos O’Something Irish bar, quite refreshing for incoming tourists.

In that same vein, save a few Che or Fidel pictorials, there are no billboards, no advertisements and no marketing materials constantly fighting for your attention. Given that Laura and I were both employed in the marketing field, this struck another chord – our jobs, our entire industries rather, did not even exist here. Disappointing perhaps, but on a base level, I think this is again refreshing.

Music continues to play an integral role in Cuban society. Because the musical arts is one of Fidel’s pet projects, musicians are encouraged through state patronage. It seems every which way I turned, there was live music flowing out of dilapidated music halls and into the streets, giving credence to the belief that Buena Vista Social Club is not even the best musical outfit Cuba has to offer. In this way, Cuba, and particularly the cultural and political capital of Havana, still maintains the Latin musical flair and history that it has long been synonymous with.

Along with great music comes great dancing. One of our favorite nights in Cuba took place in a neighborhood square in the colonial town of Trinidad, home to the plantation mansions of the the 18th and 19th century sugar barons past. Mojito in one hand and a cigar in the other, I watched as the square filled with locals of all ages coming to dance, beginning with live music at 10pm and continuing on until the early hours of the morning. This is how the locals escape, so to speak, and forget about the difficulties in their lives, taking pleasure in something so simple. Our last night brought us to one of Havana’s most popular music clubs where a spectacularly entertaining band created a blend of jazz, rumba, mambo and salsa using a variety of African and Caribbean beats and instruments.

Cuba is now, in its own way, creating a new style of communism – state-run capitalism, not too dissimilar to that of China. The government now uses 50% of tourist revenue to rehab crumbling colonial edifices, many being turned into hip cafes, art houses and restaurants in the Old Town area of “La Habana Vieja.” The other 50% of tourist revenue is then pumped back into schools, hospitals and other resources the citizens need. This is long overdue, in my opinion, and sadly still benefits tourists more than locals. But, it’s a step in the right direction.

So, after reading this, you might be confused as to how I feel about Cuba. For that, you are forgiven, because in many ways, I am, too. With Cuba, you can’t peel away a layer and see or feel the soul of it. I realize now that finding the unique core of this place takes time, patience and persistence. As an explorer, I haven’t met a destination yet that I haven’t longed to discover more of or get to know on a deeper level. I guess in this way, Cuba presents a hefty challenge. I’m up for it.

Autumn Run | Chicago

roundwego — Sat, 19 Nov 2011 17:10:54 +0000

You have to leave the city of your comfort and go into the wilderness of your intuition. What you’ll discover will be wonderful. What you’ll discover is yourself. ~ Alan Alda

Scenes from Beijing | Photo Essay

roundwego — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 18:44:52 +0000

Beijing is a place where East meets West, ancient meets modern and contemporary meets futuristic – all in the same moment. Though we had to search hard to find it, old Beijing is very much alive. While new Beijing – with its traffic-choked 12-lane expressways, throbbing discos and mammoth shopping malls – is eager to impress the world, old Beijing is content sipping an afternoon tea, dangling fishing rods in a city riverbank and passing the hours beneath soft-green willow trees.

Meet Beijing, where old greets new.

My 7 Links Project

C. Ryan — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 17:39:43 +0000

A while back, I came across a “My 7 Links” post on another travel blog and quickly scoffed at the pretentiousness of someone ranking their own posts as “Most Beautiful” or “Most Helpful.” That was, of course, before I understood the nature of the My 7 Links Project started by Tripbase. The aim, to put it bluntly, is to cut through all the crap that’s written and show people the best or most interesting writing you have to offer. Now that’s something I can stand behind.

Big ups to Tom over at Top Backpacking Destinations for recommending us. Without being too pretentious, let’s get to it then, shall we?

Our Most Beautiful Post
Homeward Bound

Morning view of Mt. Kilimanjaro from Moshi, Tanzania

Laura’s final post, written a few days before returning home, is undoubtedly the most beautiful, and also the best written. It captures so incredibly well the intense emotions we were feeling after traveling the world for 14 months. It’s written in a way that, even months later and a figurative and literal world away, I can still identify with. I think trying to capture how transformative our experience felt to us was a tall task, but somehow Laura was able to do that and in a way that any traveler, or really anyone with a sense of adventure, was able to grasp.

Our Most Popular Post
A Year Around the World in Photos

Who wants to read about all of our travels when Sigur Ros and a camera can break it down in 8 minutes?

Our Most Controversial Post
Let’s Talk About Sex, Thailand

"Ladyboys" working the sex tourist scene in Bangkok, Thailand

If you want to attract people to your blog, just write about sex. This provoked plenty of interest and a few comments. Every day, our Google Analytics alerts us to some perv visiting our site after Googling “sex beach Thailand” or “sexy sex time Thailand.” Glad to know that we can be of service to such discerning readers. Of course, that all seems tame after one “reader” was directed to our post on Varanasi, India after searching “nuns exploring themselves.”

Our Most Helpful Post
The Lowdown: Travel in Tibet

A window in Tibet

Laura decided to write this post on the specifics of Tibet travel after scouring the internet for information, only to get vastly different responses every which way she turned. Hopefully, the info will continue helping others avoid the headaches we experienced. In the meantime, let’s hope that the manipulative and controlling Chinese forces come to their senses and respect the wishes of Tibetans and their sympathizers everywhere.

The Post Whose Success Surprised You
36 Hours in Luang Prabang

None. I’m kind of a big deal, didn’t you know? In reality, any time someone other than family reads our stuff, I’m flattered, so the fact that more than a few read my post on Luang Prabang provided many heart boners. Thanks, peeps.

I don’t think it was my writing or even the topic at hand (Luang Prabang, Laos) that made this such an unpredictably popular post. Sometimes it’s just a catchy theme stolen from The New York Times (36 Hours in…) that attracts the interest of and a retweet from The Almighty at Lonely Planet. I’ll take it!

The Post You Feel Didn’t Get the Attention It Deserved
It’s Istanbul, Not Constantinople

Blue Mosque in Istanbul, Turkey

I thought a cleverly-titled ode to They Might Be Giants would draw them in by the boatloads. I was wrong. It might just be because I found Istanbul so damn fascinating that I thought this post deserved more attention. But, really, I tried to do the city justice with what I thought was my most disciplined writing. Hopefully, here, it and Istanbul will get a second chance.

The Post That You Are Most Proud Of
Back Home in Search of Home

If there is one criticism I would voice in my own writing, it’s that I didn’t always open myself up. I was too worried about what my old boss, future boss or Grandma would think. People read travel blogs not because of the information they provide, but because of the personal stories and accounts writers share. It’s then that we begin to forge personal attachments to the blogs we read. In this post, Laura really opened up and allowed her vulnerable self to come through while expressing the difficulties she experienced upon returning home and coming to terms with the “her” that she left. For that, I am immensely proud.

Our 7 Links Nominations
Before we ever left, throughout our travels and now suffering vicariously, these 5 travel blogs have inspired us. Here are our nominations for the 7 Links Project:

Away Together
Get Up and Globe
To Uncertainty and Beyond
The Siracusas
100 Red Flags – Not a travel blog, but worth seeing 7 links for the giggles